


Leaves Falling

by thiscanbegin



Category: Girl Meets World
Genre: F/F, F/M, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2016-05-18
Packaged: 2018-06-06 23:24:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6774436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thiscanbegin/pseuds/thiscanbegin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Riley and Maya start high school with a strained relationship as both struggle with their feelings. When a new person is added to the mix, things become even more complex.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue - Welcome To New York

**Author's Note:**

> This goes AU during the end of season 2 during "Girl Meets Texas". Maya doesn't have feelings for Lucas but Riley and Lucas still break up.

Things started happening between them in the middle of eighth grade, after Riley and Lucas (for the moment) had broken up.

The topic was brought up rather innocently by Riley one day when she and Maya were sitting in the bay window. Riley announced that she had done some research and asked a few of their friends who has siblings already in high school what it was like and thus, came to the conclusion that they needed to fool around to "practice" and be ready for high school boys.

To say Maya was shocked was an understatement. But the moment Riley's lips touched hers all thoughts were erased from her brain. The only thing Maya could focus on was the feel of Riley's lips on hers. The taste of Riley's lip balm when Maya tentatively licked her bottom lip. 

This went on between them the rest of the year. Study sessions were wrought with make out sessions. Sleep overs were spent feeling each other's blossoming bodies under the covers instead of just cuddling. Each time they grew more adventurous, exploring more of their bodies. Maya was in heaven getting to touch Riley in ways she had only fantasized about. Riley was content to further their experiments, unknowingly feeding into Maya's desires.

Then, as suddenly as it all came on, it stopped. They were weeks from entering high school and Riley announced that what they were doing was for eighth graders, that now they would be in high school and ready to try the real thing with high school boys.

It broke Maya's heart.

But as her best friend above all else Maya could only go with what her friend, her secret love of so long, wished and they stopped.


	2. Chapter One - Like Any True Love it Drives You Crazy (6 Weeks Later)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maya meets someone who might be able to distract her from her broken heart

Maya was exhausted from another sleepless night.

Nearly two months since she and Riley had stopped fooling around but it was still fresh inside Maya's head. Her fingers ached each time Riley was near her, instinctively needing to touch the skin that they had spent hours memorizing during their time together.

She knew that if you ran your fingers down the back of Riley's knees she would giggle. And that if you nibbled on the skin behind her ear, Riley would melt into your touch with soft, mewling moans.

Maya slammed her locker hard in frustration as the thoughts replayed themselves over and over in her head, remembering all those nights spent together. She wanted to bang her head against the locker too, hoping that the resulting brain damage would erase the memories but couldn't risk losing whatever smarts she actually had acquired from hanging around the Matthews family, Farkel and even Huckleberry. At least Lucas wasn't fairing any better than she was. 

it was no secret that his plan had been to ask Riley out again once they reached high school but Riley had shocked them all one day after school, when she told them at Topanga's that she was giving Charlie a chance. All Maya could do that day was pat Lucas on the back, with a sympathetic look, letting him know without words that she understood his pain. 

Maya sighed heavily as the bell for second period rang loud, echoing off the lockers to further exacerbate the aching between her temples. All she wanted to do was turn around and run out of the school as fast as her legs could carry her. She even turned and started towards the doors on instinct but faltered in her steps, knowing she would get shit from Riley for skipping out. With another sigh she turned the opposite direction to head to class. 

The moment Maya's body turned, it collided with another, causing both to stumble back upon impact andfall to the ground. 

"Hey watch it!" "Sorry!" 

Maya blinked twice, her snide comments sticking to her tongue as she looked up into the most gorgeous blue coloured eyes she had ever seen in her life. They were wide and apologetic, owned by the girl who had just run into her. The _hot girl_ , her brain added quickly, as her cheeks started to flush. 

"Did I hurt you?" The girl asked as she got to her feet, offering Maya a helping hand to stand as well. Once she was on her feet too, Maya noted that the girl was a few feet taller than her and if she had to guess, nearly as tall as Lucas. 

Maya shook her head, assuring she was fine. "It takes more than that to hurt me," she replied with a smirk. It was all bravado that she was paying that three other girl couldn't read through. Inside her chest, Maya's heart was beating so hard she could hardly hear beyond the blood rushing in her ears. Thankfully, the girl either didn't notice or chose to say nothing about it. 

"I'm Lynn," the oceanic eyed goddess announced, introducing herself. 

"Maya." Maya couldn't help but let her eyes quickly wander over the girl's features and outfit. 

She had freckles dotting all over her cheeks and nose and pale skin, accentuated with the barest hint of make up. Stands of pale wheat blonde hair fell out of her brown beanie. She dressed casually in a mix that could only be described as hipster-fringe. She wore skinny jeans with suspenders hanging of the sides and a Barman logo tee-shrit under a plaid button up of similar colours. The converse and thick rimmed glasses seemed too much but at the same time were perfect for Lynn. 

Maya flushed harder when she meet Lynn's eyes again and knew that she had been caught starting. 

"It's okay, I was going to check you out too," Lynn said as she gave Maya a quick once over so they'd be even but Maya could see the hint of lust mirrored back in Lynn's eyes. If it hadn't been for that, Maya would have thought she were joking. 

Neither could say anything else as the second bell rung, announcing that the period was two minutes from starting. 

"Maya!" 

Maya looked around Lynn to see that Farkel was waving her down so they could go to class together. Behind him Riley was watching her expectantly while holding tight to Charlie's hand. It was a sight enough to make her want to throw up. 

"I gotta go, " Maya told Lynn. She gave her a quick apologetic look, before bounding off to join her friends. 

"See ya!" Lynn called out to her, making Maya blush again. 

\--- xxx --- 

"Who was that? " Riley leaned over and whispered to Maya's during class. She waited long enough to ask the question that was burning a hole in her stomach. Ever since she called off their fooling around, Riley was growing to regret to more and more, missing the soft, knowing touches of Maya's hands and lips. But there was nothing she could do about it now. She had made her up her mind and made her choice, now she was with Charlie. Still, there was this jealously growing in her heart after seeing Maya flushed over this strange, untrustworthy new girl. 

"Jealous, Matthews?" Maya snarked in reply. 

"Noo," Riley whined, unwilling to admit that she was even though she knew Maya could tell. It wasn't just for reasons Maya might have thought either. Riley was always jealous of other girls around her best friend. It shouldn't happen. Period. 

"She was just---" 

Maya was interrupted from finishing by the classroom door opening and the girl in question walking into the room. 

"Everyone," the teacher announced to get the attention of the class, "Welcome Evelyn Marcos." 

Lynn waved shyly and looked greatly uncomfortable until her eyes landed on Maya's. Both girls smiled instantly and Riley frowned, looking back and forth between the two. 

When her introduction was over, Lynn was instructed to sit in the row next to Maya's but caty-corner, making Maya have to look back over her shoulder to see Lynn. Not that Maya minded particularly much in doing so. 

\--- x --- 

Riley looped her arm around as soon as class was over, pulling her out the door before she had a chance to get to Lynn. 

"Riles!" Maya gasped, reluctantly being pulled along. "What's up with you?" 

"What's up with you??" Riley countered. She didn't look too pleased with the situation and it was confusing to Maya. Riley---who broke things off with her---had _no_ right to be acting this way. Though Maya could admit that Riley had always been a little jealous over other girls talking to her. 

Maya pulled herself free and stopped in the middle of the hallway, momentarily stopping the natural flow of traffic as students headed from one class to another. Eventually they parted around the standstill teens like a river flowing around a rock in its path. "She's a new girl. We bumped into each other in the hallway earlier. What's it to you?" 

"She made you flush like Charlie shou-- _makes_ me," Riley replied, catching herself before she slipped up. She liked spending time with Charlie; he was funny and a good kisser but Riley just didn't feel that same spark with him that she had been expecting from a true high school romance. 

"So?" Maya snapped defensive. She crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to meet Riley's gaze. 

"Maya..." Riley sighed softly, trying to ease some tension. "You're my best friend. You can tell me anything. You know that." Maya only nodded once in reply. Riley ventured onward, "Do you like girls?" Her voice was barely above a whisper but Maya was close enough that she could hear it over the ambient noise of other students mulling about them. 

"I'll see you in class," Maya answered with tears in her eyes, before she turned to head to their next class, leaving Riley still standing in the hallway. 

When Riley felt eyes on her, she turned to see Lynn watching curiously from the door of their previous class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the big question is out there now. All Maya be out too in the next chapter? Only one way to find out! 
> 
> For visual reference; Evelyn Marcos is played by [Sierra McCormick](http://angeldustmt.tumblr.com/tagged/sierra-mccormick)
> 
> (Any mistakes are mine, as this is being written on my phone. I'll edit them as I notice.)


	3. Chapter Two - We Don't Have To Be Ordinary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maya finally confesses to Riley that she might be attracted to girls. This new information is confusing for Riley who's still struggling to sort out her own feelings. The fact that it becomes rather apparent that Maya also might be developing feelings for Lynn only furthers to complicate and confuse matters for both girls.

Riley and Maya had been sitting in their bay window in silence for nearly an hour after school. The question that Riley had asked earlier in the day hung over them like a thick fog, leaving their relationship strained and chilled. 

"What do we do?" Corey whispered to his wife from their daughter's bedroom doorway, where they had been watching. The second the girls got home from school the whole household knew something was amiss.

"Let them work it out, " Topanga replied, before she pulled him away from the so the girls could talk privately.

"What if I do?" Maya asked sometime later. Her tone was angry and defensive but underneath was fear. This, next to being in love with Riley, was her biggest secret and she was potentially about to admit it.

"Then you do, " Riley answered simply, like it was no big deal. It wasn't, really. She would love Maya no matter what. But she would be lying if this new information didn't confuse her and make her question everything they had done together. Not question in a bad way, just in a way that Riley wasn't yet equipped to understand. 

"I don't know if I do. Or what it makes me." It wasn't a total lie on Maya's part. Yes - she liked girls but was she a lesbian? Bisexual? These were questions that she didn't have answers to. Maybe she would never because they were just words to describe and label, and one thing Maya Hart didn't do was labels.

Riley was silent after this. For so long that eventually it grew uncomfortable for Maya and she just had to know how Riley felt about it all. To get it out of the way. "Riles?"she asked, looking at her best friend expectantly.

"You're still my friend, Maya," the other girl assured with a warm smile and gentle voice. "Forever. No matter who you like or don't like."

The relief Maya felt after hearing those words was visible in her whole demeanor. It was like a weight had been lifted and she looked lighter, happier.

"Thanks Riles."

They smiled at each other momentarily before they hugged.

Riley's smile faded somewhat when Maya couldn't see, as she struggled to process this new information and her ever confusing feelings. 

\--- x ----

The day following her admittance to Riley, Maya felt different as she walked into school. She felt as if the whole world knew her secret and all eyes were on her.

"You got this, " Riley assured from beside her as they walked down the hall. She could see the tension in her friend's movements. Had been able to see it all morning, even when they were seated with her family for breakfast. Maya had glanced around at Corey and Topanga, even Auggie, as if they knew her secret too. Of course they didn't. Riley would never tell anyone before Maya was ready.

"It just seems like everyone knows now," Maya said quietly so as not to be overheard by too many people.

"Knows what?" Farkle asked, sneaking up behind the two. Lucas was with him as well.

"Nothing!" Both girls answered quickly and nervously. Farkle gave them an odd look but then shrugged it off. 

"So Riley..." Lucas began, somewhat awkwardly. Ever since Riley and Charlie got together, Lucas didn't seem to know how to act around her. All their interactions on his part were awkward and way too polite, like he didn't know how to relax and just be friends again. 

"So Lucas..." Riley replied, trying to give him an encouraging smile. She didn't want things to be uncomfortable between them. 

Lucas shifted his messenger bag, tugging on the strap to straighten it unnecessarily. "Never mind." 

"We should get to class," Farkle offered. They still had time before the bell rang but he wanted to spare his friend from anymore torment by making the only suggestion he could. 

Riley's smile brightened as she saw Charlie coming towards them from behind the boys. "I'll catch up with you guys," she said, stepping between Lucas and Farkle to get to him. The pained look on Lucas's face as he saw the two kiss when they were close enough was a near mirror image of the one Maya had. Even Farkle was displeased by this display of affection but only because their relationship was changing the dynamics of the group. 

Maya reached up and clapped Lucas on the shoulder. "Trust me, Huckleberry, I'd rather see her with you too." 

"Agreed," Farkle added. 

"Thanks guys," Lucas said, sounding defeated. 

The three then turned away, no longer wanting to watch Riley and Charlie kiss, and headed towards their first period class. 

"I just don't get what she sees in him," Lucas said as they walked. He was thinking out loud. 

"Riley has this preconceived idea of high school romance and Charlie is apparently it," Maya said. 

"It's stupid," Lucas said with a huff. 

"She'll eventually get over it and be back to "hi-heying" with you," Maya tried to assure him. It was true what she had said earlier, that she'd rather Riley be with him than anyone else. Sure it would suck seeing her with someone else but at least Lucas wasn't going to do anything to hurt Riley. Not that Charlie Gardner was a bad guy necessarily, but she still didn't trust him. 

"Guys," Farkle said to get their attention as they walked into the class room. He was first through the door. "Who's in Riley's seat?" 

Maya looked over his shoulder and was surprised to see that Lynn was sitting in Riley's usual seat in the front row of their English class, next to where Maya's seat was. She was even more surprised to see the smile on the other girl's face when she noticed her. 

"Hey Maya," she greeted. 

"Hey," Maya replied as she walked over to her own desk. She sat down without acknowledging that Lynn was in Riley's seat. "How are you?" 

"Good. You?" 

"Good." 

Lucas and Farkle watched the exchange before taking their own desks, just in time as Riley walked through the door. She was all smiles until she spotted Lynn. 

"Excuse me," Riley said as she stood at the edge of the desk looking down at Lynn. Her words were polite but the tone wasn't overly so. "That's my desk." 

"Sorry, I didn't know there were assigned seating for this class," Lynn said. 

"There's actually not," Farkle stated. The glare he earned from Riley was almost on par with Maya's and had him shrinking down in his own chair, trying to make himself as small as possible to be ignored. 

Lynn looked around the room as it was still filling with students. There were plenty of other empty seats available, which she was quick to point out to Riley. 

"Well why don't you move to one?" Riley snapped uncharacteristically. 

"Riles!" Maya admonished. The bell had just rung and the teacher was walking in. Class was about to start. "Just sit somewhere else for today okay?" The hurt look on Riley's face nearly broke her heart. 

"You're taking her side?" Riley asked, both looking and sounding betrayed. 

"Never," Maya assured quickly. Riley ignored her and moved to sit in an empty desk near the back, two seats behind Lucas. Maya turned to look at her, trying to get her attention but Riley was doing everything possible to appear busy and ignore her. 

Moments later class started. 

"Sorry about your friend," Lynn said quietly, leaning over to talk with Maya as roll call was being taken. 

"It's okay," Maya assured. She looked back at Riley who still refused to look at her. 

"She seemed jealous," Lynn observed. 

"We normally just sit together is all," was all Maya could reply with. She looked back at Riley again, and sure enough, could see the jealously written all over her face. Question was; why was she jealous of Lynn? 

"So you guys are really close huh?" Lynn asked curiously. She could tell from watching the two interact in the hallway yesterday that their relationship was extremely close. 

Maya nodded, turning finally to look at the girl next to her. "We've been best friends since forever. We're normally not apart like this." There was a familiar longing in Maya's voice that Lynn couldn't ignore. 

"I'll sit somewhere else tomorrow," she offered with an understanding smile. 

"Thanks," Maya said. She was a bit taken aback by the offer but was grateful nonetheless. Things had been so different with her and Riley that she really didn't want anything else to go wrong. 

The rest of class was uneventful and passed rather quickly, and soon the bell rang and they were gathering their belongings to head off towards their next period.

"So I'll see you around?" Lynn asked as she shouldered her backpack. The answer was obvious that they would, sharing classes together but she still felt compelled to ask, wanting to see more of Maya and hoping that maybe Maya was as curious about her as she was about her.

"Yeah, of course," Maya replied. Her cheeks were turning a soft pink which made Lynn break out into a smile.

"Great. See ya," she said before following the other departing students out into the hall.

"What was that?" Riley asked suddenly, making Maya jump.

"What was what?" Maya asked, instantly going on the defensive. She knew Riley wouldn't out her in front of the rest of the class or their friends, but still was on edge. If that was what she was even referring to in the first place. Luckily for Maya, it wasn't.

"You let some stranger take my seat. If it was your seat I would have backed you up until they moved, but you didn't. You let her sit here."

"Riley, it was for one period. And besides, she already told me tomorrow she would sit somewhere else so we could be together again," Maya tried to reason and assure her.

"Really?" Riley seemed just as taken aback by that as Maya had earlier in the period.

"Mhm. And all we did was talk about you."

"Really?" Now it was Riley's turn to blush, something that sent butterflies roaring inside Maya's stomach. She wanted to forever be the reason that Riley blushed but knew that it wasn't going to come to fruition the way she hoped. At least this was better than nothing. Riey seemed to sober up after a few moments. "I'm still angry at you."

"I know, Riles," Maya practically cooed, patting the taller girl's head.

Placated, Riley linked her arm with Maya's and the two exited the room.

"Girls," Lucas sighed, having silently watched the scene with Farkle.

"I concur," Farkle agreed as they two left the room.

\--- x ---

By the time lunch rolled around Maya was exhausted. Two pop quizes in science and math had given her a massive headache. She flopped down at the lunch table her friends usually ate at, dropping her bag onto the table top and her head onto that, hoping to get a few moments rest to ease the pounding in her skull.

"Mind if I sit?" A familiar voice asked. Maya opened her eyes and looked up to see Lynn standing on the other side of the table holding a tray of food and she sat up immediately.

"Sure." Maya was surprised that she said the word without stammering.

Lynn set her tray down on the table first, then took off her backpack and placed it underneath the table before finally sitting across from Maya. "Not going to eat?" she asked once settled.

Maya unzipped her backpack and pulled out a sack lunch, courtesy of Topanga Matthews. "Riley's mom always makes my lunch," she explained as she set her own backpack under the table.

"Lucky," Lynn said, a hint of jealousy and longing in her voice, as she used her fork to push around the contents of her lunch tray. It was supposed to be meatloaf but it looked like a lump of something indescribable, covered in a watery brown "gravy".

"You don't have anyone to make you lunch?" Maya asked without thinking about it. As soon as the words left her mouth, she was quick to apologize. "Sorry. It's none of my business if you do or don't. I shouldn't have asked." She, after all, knew what it was like to not have the best home-life.

"No, no it's okay," Lynn assured with a smile. "I have my dad but he has to be at work before any of us get up. Usually I just have enough time in the morning to make some cereal and get my siblings fed before making sure they all get off to school."

"How many siblings do you have?"

"Four. Two brothers and two sisters, I'm the eldest."

"So you basically take care of them?" Maya asked curiously. Lynn nodded in reply. "Wow. I don't think I could do that. Some days I can barely take care of myself. The Matthews still don't entirely trust me to watch Auggie on my own."

"Auggie?" Lynn asked, confused.

"That's Riley's brother. He just turned six."

"My youngest brother is six."

Both girls fell silent after that, not sure what else to say to continue this particular topic of conversation. Maya didn't want to ask anything intrusive and put Lynn off and Lynn just didn't know what to say next. Luckily for both of them, Lucas came over to the table and sat down next to Lynn without even giving it another thought.

"Hey ya'll," he greeted cheerfully. "I'm Lucas." He held out his hand to shake Lynn's.

"Lynn," she replied, shaking Lucas' hand.

Farkle and Riley joined them at the table after that, Farkle sitting on Lucas' other side and Riley, naturally, sitting next to Maya. Riley didn't seem too pleased with their guest but didn't say anything.

"Hey," Lynn said, addressing Riley, "I'm really sorry I took your seat in English. I didn't know it'd mean that much to you guys to sit together."

"Oh," Riley said softly in surprise. "Uh, thanks." She hesitated for a moment before adding, "And I'm sorry for the way I snapped at you about it. It's just a desk." It was clearly more than that to Riley and everyone could tell she was lying when she said it but chose not to say anything against it.

"So where are you from?" Farkle asked Lynn.

"California originally. My family moved here six weeks ago when my dad got a new job," Lynn replied before daring to take a bite of the "meatloaf" (which actually turned out to not be that bad, despite its appearance).

"How do you like New York so far?" Maya asked.

"It's loud but other than that, not bad."

"I know how you feel," Lucas said with an understanding nod. "I'm from Texas and it took me a while to get used to all the city noises. The only time things got really loud back home was when the rodeo was in town and then you could hear the hootin' and hollerin' from all over."

"He's not lying," Riley added. "Last year we all took a trip down there to watch Lucas compete in a rodeo and it was insane."

"Did you win?" Lynn asked Lucas. He nodded with a big grin.

"Sure did. Scariest time of my life though."

"In _all_ our lives," Maya added. "When Riley and I signed him up, we didn't realize how dangerous it would be."

"That day changed all of us," Farkle spoke up next. Everyone who had been there nodded in agreement.

"Sounds like you've all been though a lot together," Lynn commented. She could feel the closeness of the four friends sitting at the table and it was starting to make her feel like she was an intrusive outsider even though they'd been nothing but welcoming since they'd all sat down.

"You've no idea," Maya murmured with a side glance at Riley.

The rest of the lunch was full of idle chit-chat and the group getting to know Lynn a little bit better as they all ate their lunches. Throughout the period, Lynn was beginning to relax more and more, feeling less like an outsider as amongst the friends as she opened up about her life back in California; the friends she had, the activities she did, etc.

"So what do you think of her now?" Maya asked Riley quietly as they were throwing their trash away after the period was over. Riley looked back to the table to watch Lynn and Farkle who were showing each other pictures of their cats on their cellphones.

"She's actually not bad," Riley confessed. She still wasn't pleased about what happened previously during English but had to admit that after getting to know Lynn a little bit better, she was less bitter about what had transpired and actually liked her. She still was wary though, because she could sense that Maya was interested (whether it be only friendship or romantically, she hadn't figured out yet because _Maya_ hadn't figured it out yet) in her and didn't know quite what to make of that.

"Right?" Maya agreed watching the scene before them as well. There was no denying that there was something about this new girl that sparked some new, interesting feelings within Maya that were both confusing and exciting all at once. She was still in love with Riley, would probably always be, but before meeting Lynn she had never really _thought_ of another girl in the same way that she thought of Riley. Sure she would think a girl was attractive but beyond that, not give it that much thought as she wasn't entirely ready to deal with those feelings in the first place, and because Riley had always been her main focus. But now there was someone new and it was even more confusing than her feelings already were.


End file.
